Steering-gear for vehicles.



No. 665,093. Patented Jan. I, 190i.

A. HERSCHMANN.

STEERING'GEAR FOB-VEHICLES.

(Application filed May 19, 1900.)

v (No Model.) 2 Shoets-Sheet No. 665,093. Patented Jan. I, 1901;

A. H ERSCHMANN.

STEERING GEAR FOB VEHICLES.

(Application filed May 19, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets'8heei 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

NITED STATES ATENT OFFIC ARTHUR HERSOHMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEERING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,093, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed May 19, 1900. Serial No. 17,213. (No model.)

To ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HERSOHMANN, asu bject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates ,to steeriug gear for vehicles, and is particularly adapted for selfpropelling vehicles.

The object is to provide an accurate steering-gear of simple and yet strong construction.

My improved gear is specially adapted for application to heavy trucks; and it consists of two bell-cranks, upon one arm of each of which wheels are mounted, the other arm engaging in a peculiar manner with the-opposite ends of a rack-bar, which may be moved in the direction of its length by the operator, by suitable gearing, for changing the planes of the wheels to accomplish accurate steering.

The construction will be fully described in the specification which follows and by reference to the accompanying, drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan of the frame of a vehicle to which my steering-gear is applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.

3 is a transverse section of the frame, showing the rack-bar in detail; and Fig. 4 is a de tail of the connection between the bell-crank and the rack-bar.

A represents part of the frame or floor-- .mounted upon bell-cranks, each consisting of two arms I) and b, which are pivoted on vertical pivots on each side of the frame. The arms are fixed at an obtuse angle to each other, and the arms I) are inclined toward each other and are adapted to be swung through different arcs in order to set the wheels for proper steering. For shifting these bell-cranks, I use a rack-bar e, provided with a rack e, extending a short distance along one face, and I mount this rack transversely of the vehicle in a box f, through which it is free to slide, said box being secured to the braces B in the manner shown in Fig. 3. An opening is left in one of the faces of the box, through which a gear-wheel 9 may pass to engage with the'rack. At each end of the rack-bar is an eye 6 containing a disk e free to rotate therein. The eye is provided at opposite points with circumferential slots e, and the disk is diametrically pierced, thus allowing the arm I) of the bell-crank to pass through the sides of the eye and through the disk. This construction being duplicated at each end of the rack-bar, it is obvious that when the bar is moved in the direction of its length the bell-cranks will be swung through certain different respective angles, while the arms I) thereof will be free to slide through the disk and the sides of the eye, while the disk rotates to accommodate the motion. This construction affords the proper freedom of motion between the bar and the bellcranks to permit the use of a single rigid rack-bar. The construction likewise affords a means for obtaining accurate steering, since the vertical planes of the two arms 6 will always intersect in the vertical plane of the rear axle, which, as is well understood, is essential for accurate steering. In order to give the endwise motion to the rack-bar e, I

provide a vertical shaft h, carrying a handwheel h at its iipper end and a pinion k at its lower end, engaging with the gear g.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a steering-gear for vehicles, a sliding rack-bar, gearing by which it is moved, said bar having an eye at each end, a disk fitted to rotate inside of each eye an arm or lever passing loosely through the sides of each eye and diametrically through the disk therein, said arm being connected with the wheel of the vehicle, substantially as described.

2. In a steering-gear for vehicles, the combination of two bell-cranks whose arms stand at obtuse angles to each other, and one arm of each of which carries a wheel, and the other two arms being inclined toward each other, a rack-bar mounted to move in the direction of its length, said bar having an eye at each end, a disk fitted to rotate inside of each eye, the two arms last mentioned respectively passing loosely through the sides of the eyes in the bar, and diametrically through the disks therein, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR HERSOHMANN. 

